An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 1 eBook

The weather during this month was very hot. The
5th was a day most excessively sultry. The wind
blew strong from the northward of west; the country,
to add to the intense heat of the atmosphere, was everywhere
on fire. At Sydney, the grass at the back of
the hill on the west side of the cove, having either
caught or been set on fire by the natives, the flames,
aided by the wind which at that time blew violently,
spread and raged with incredible fury. One house
was burnt down, several gardens with their fences
were destroyed; and the whole face of the hill was
on fire, threatening every thatched hut with destruction.
The conflagration was with much difficulty (notwithstanding
the exertions of the military) got under, after some
time, and prevented from doing any further mischief.
At different times during this uncomfortable day distant
thunder was heard, the air darkened, and some few large
drops of rain fell. The apparent danger from
the fires drew all persons out of their houses; and
on going into the parching air, it was scarcely possible
to breathe; the heat was insupportable; vegetation
seemed to suffer much, the leaves of many culinary
plants being reduced to a powder. The thermometer
in the shade rose above one hundred degrees. Some
rain falling toward evening, the excessive heat abated.

At Parramatta and Toongabbie also the heat was extreme;
the country there too was every where in flames.
Mr. Arndell was a great sufferer by it. The fire
had spread to his farm; but by the efforts of his own
people and the neighbouring settlers it was got under,
and its progress supposed to be effectually checked,
when an unlucky spark from a tree, which had been on
fire to the topmost branch, flying upon the thatch
of the hut where his people lived, it blazed out;
the hut with all the out-buildings, and thirty bushels
of wheat just got into a stack, were in a few minutes
destroyed. The erecting of the hut and out-houses
had cost L15 a short time before.

The day preceding that of the excessive heat, James
Castles, an industrious and thriving settler at Prospect
Hill, had his hut accidentally burnt down, with all
his comforts, and three bushels of wheat which he
had just reaped. The governor ordered his hut
to be rebuilt, and every assistance given which the
stores afforded to repair his loss.

There died between the 1st of January and 31st of
December 1792, two of the civil department, six soldiers,
four hundred and eighteen male convicts, eighteen
female convicts, and twenty-nine children; one male
convict was executed; and three male convicts were
lost in the woods; making a decrease by death of four
hundred and eighty-two persons.

The following were the prices of stock, grain, and
other articles, as they were sold at Sydney, and at
Parramatta, at the close of the year: